WWE Champion AJ Styles has enjoyed an impressive run so far in WWE, as back in August he surpassed JBL as the longest reigning Champion exclusive to the Smackdown brand. In an interview conducted for WWE immediately after Styles broke JBL’s record-holding 280 days as Champion, AJ Styles admitted he never thought when he signed with the company three years ago the he would be breaking records so quickly. You can hear Styles reflect more on his WWE career and title reign in the above video player.

Despite Styles’ continued success in WWE, however, fans consistently scratch their heads as to why The Phenomenal One routinely does not headline WWE events, and is typically relegated to the middle of the card. Styles and Samoa Joe received rave reviews for their match at WWE Super Show-Down this past Sunday, and though many fans felt it was the match of the night, the battle between the two Smackdown stars took place in the middle of the show.

Photo: WWE

According to WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray on today’s episode of Busted Open Radio, there might be a reason why matches featuring AJ Styles do not headline WWE events, and it is likely because Styles is quickly becoming the new “Showstopper” in WWE.

“When [WWE knows] there is a match that will steal the show, but they don’t want that match to overshadow any other match, they put it in the middle of the show,” explained Ray.

"When they know there is a match that will steal the show, but they don't want that match to overshadow any other match, they put it in the middle of the show."

Most recently, it was announced that AJ Styles will defend his WWE Title in a “dream match” against Daniel Bryan at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and while fans might assume the bout is a natural event headliner, Styles and Bryan will face stiff competition from other top WWE stars.

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